" AAAAAAAAASH?!"

" WHAT?"

" WHERE ARE YOU?"

" AT THE TENT WHY?"

" BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE YOU!"

" THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM INVISIBLE?"

" NO I JUST CAN'T FIND YOU!"

" JUST FOLLOW YOUR FOOTPRINTS!"

" WHAT FOOTPRINTS?!"

" WHAG DO YOU MEAN?"

" I... I CAN'T SEE MINE!"

" YOU DIDN'T MAKE FOOTPRINTS?!"

" NO?"

" USE EEVEE TO GUIDE YOU HERE!"

" OKAY!"

Gary winced as he walked with sticks in his hand. " Boy you and Dimples are loud."

Ash Shrugged. " It's natural."

" If you say so. Hey, did you bring the lighter?"

" Yeah! I brought lights!" Ash too out fairy lights from his bag

Gary blinked. " Ash, I said a lighter."

" Yeah. Here are the lights."

Gary sighed. " Kid, I said lighter. Not light."

" What's the difference?"

Gary groaned. " Great. We're camping and we have no lighter out in the middle of nowhere."

Then he asked wearily, " did you at least bring the matches?"

Ash took out boxing gloves. " Yeah! I got Pikachu and me gloves in case you wanted to have a boxing match!"

Gary stared at Ash, his face blank with disbelief. "Ash... we're in the middle of nowhere. We're trying to survive here, not have a boxing match."

Ash, unfazed, grinned widely. "Well, you never know! I thought it might be fun!" He tossed the boxing gloves over his shoulder as if they were the most natural thing to bring on a camping trip.

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "Forget the boxing gloves, Ash. We need to start a fire to cook dinner, and we don't have a lighter or matches." He glanced at the fairy lights Ash had pulled out. "Lights are great, but we can't exactly roast marshmallows with fairy lights."

Ash paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. "Well, we could just use Pikachu's Thunderbolt to start a fire, right?"

Pikachu's ears perked up at the mention of his name, looking excited, but then he glanced at Gary, who looked like he might implode from frustration.

Gary blinked slowly. "Ash, I don't think Pikachu should just randomly start a fire with his electricity. Do you want the entire forest to catch fire?"

Ash scratched his head, a sheepish grin forming on his face. "Okay, maybe not the forest... But we could figure something out. We just need to get creative!"

Then he sighed and yelled, "Wisty, do you need help finding your way over here?"

Wisty's frustrated voice rang out in reply, "YES! I told you, I can't see my footprints, and I'm lost in the fog!"

Gary glanced at Ash, shaking his head. "You've got more problems to worry about than a campfire, kid."

Ash gave a carefree shrug. "Eh, that's just another day in the life of an adventurer, right?"

Gary wasn't sure if he should be impressed by Ash's optimism or completely exasperated with it. "Fine, let's just deal with the fire situation first, and then we'll help Wisty not get lost in a cloud of fog."

"Right!" Ash nodded enthusiastically. "So... now what?"

Gary looked at Ash, then down at the sticks he was holding. "Well, I guess we can make a fire the old-fashioned way-rub these together and pray."

Ash blinked, looking at the sticks in Gary's hands, then back at the fairy lights. "Or... we could just use the lights, set them up around the camp, and pretend they're the fire. Problem solved!"

Gary just sighed. "This is going to be a long night."

The two of them continued to try and figure things out, with Pikachu and Eevee in tow, as Wisty's voice echoed faintly from the distance.

Wisty walked over, holding the spring water in her hands, and raised an eyebrow at Gary, who was covered in dirt and leaves. "Gary, why do you look like you went through a war?" she asked, glancing at him with a confused expression.

Before Gary could respond, Ash suddenly pulled out a toy gun from his backpack, aiming it at the air dramatically. "War? WHERE?!" he yelled, his eyes wide with mock excitement.

Gary and Wisty both jumped in surprise, the two of them taking a few steps back in unison. Wisty's eyes widened as she nearly dropped the water jug. "Ash, what the heck?!" she shouted, shaking her head in disbelief.

Gary, still recovering from the shock, put a hand over his heart, taking a few deep breaths. "You scared me half to death!" he exclaimed, his voice strained. "I thought you were actually going to start a war with that ridiculous thing."

Ash, completely unfazed by the chaos he had just caused, let out a laugh and tucked the toy gun back into his bag. "Come on, I was just messing around!" he said with a grin. "It's just a toy, guys. Chill."

Wisty stared at him for a moment, blinking in disbelief. "Seriously, Ash? You're carrying a toy gun in the middle of the woods?" she asked, her voice laced with annoyance and amusement. "Do you think this is some kind of spy mission?"

Ash shrugged. "Why not? It's a camping adventure! You gotta have fun with it."

Gary ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. "Honestly, I think we should worry more about the fact that we're in the woods and Ash thinks it's a good idea to carry a toy gun."

Wisty gave a resigned sigh and handed the water jug to Gary. "Here. This is the spring water you guys wanted," she said, rolling her eyes. "But don't even think about asking me for any more 'supplies' after this."

Ash beamed, completely unbothered by the fact that his antics had caused a mini crisis. "Thanks, Wisty! You're the best!"

Gary glared at Ash for a moment before accepting the water with a weary smile. "Yeah, thanks, Wisty. Now, can we get some peace and quiet for, like, five minutes?"

Wisty folded her arms and smirked. "Sure, Gary. If you promise not to get caught in any more 'wars' or have Ash pull out any more toys." She gave Ash a pointed look, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Deal!" Gary muttered, sitting down by the fire and shaking his head. "Just... can we go one day without something ridiculous happening?"

Ash looked at him innocently, an exaggerated expression of faux concern on his face. "What? Nothing ridiculous ever happens when we're together, right?"

Gary and Wisty both groaned in unison, knowing they were in for a long, unpredictable night.

Gary blinked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He was just starting to relax by the fire when he heard the unmistakable sound of grunting. He turned his head to see Ash, struggling with a large tin container that was definitely not meant to be moved through the forest. The tin was filled to the brim with bath supplies, including towels, shampoo, and what looked like bubble bath.

"Ash, what are you doing?!" Gary yelled, standing up and staring at his friend in utter confusion.

Ash didn't respond at first. He was too busy grunting, pushing the container with all his might as it scraped against the ground. He suddenly stopped, stood up straight, and broke into a ridiculous off-key rendition of some random tune.

"🎶Bubble bath, bubble bath, soaking in the tub, getting all clean and fresh-🎶" Ash sang loudly, his voice completely out of tune. He didn't seem to notice the confused look Gary was giving him as he struggled to push the tin forward. "🎶Lather, rinse, repeat-oh wait, I forgot the soap-🎶"

Gary just stared, wide-eyed and trying to process what was happening. "Ash... What are you doing with the bath stuff? We're in the middle of the forest!"

Ash continued pushing the container and singing, seemingly oblivious to Gary's frustration. "🎶I'm gonna wash away all the dirt, scrub my feet and my hands, oh yeah!-🎶"

Gary groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're seriously doing this? In the woods? You can't just drag a tub of bath supplies through the forest like you're setting up a spa!"

Ash paused mid-song, turning to Gary with a clueless expression. "Why not? I mean, if we're gonna be out here camping for a while, we might as well have the luxury of a nice bath, right?"

Gary's face twisted in disbelief. "A bath? In the middle of the forest? That's your solution?"

Ash beamed, completely ignoring the logic of the situation. "Exactly! Who doesn't want a good bubble bath after a long day of camping? Plus, I'm pretty sure Pikachu needs one too!"

Gary let out a long sigh. "You're impossible, Ash."

Ash grinned widely and resumed his off-key singing. "🎶Rub-a-dub-dub, Pikachu, it's bath time!-🎶"

Gary couldn't help but facepalm as Ash continued to push the tin further into the woods, still singing about the joys of bubble baths and ignoring all reason.

Gary blinked in confusion as Wisty came charging out of the tent, camera in hand, a look of excitement on her face.

"I'm gonna go take pictures of some Pokémon and send them to Tracey and your grandpa and mom!" she said, holding up the camera like it was some grand prize.

Gary shrugged. "Sure, sounds like a good idea. Have fun, Wisty."

But before he could say anything else, Wisty's mood changed almost instantly. She froze for a moment, looking over her shoulder, her eyes widening in alarm.

"Never mind!" she shouted in a panicked voice, dropping the camera and bolting past Gary with impressive speed.

Gary raised an eyebrow, completely confused. "What the-"

Before he could even process what had happened, Wisty dove into her tent as if it were a safe house, disappearing from view. A loud buzzing followed her, and Gary turned just in time to see a Beedrill hover in the air, looking completely puzzled by her sudden retreat.

"Uh... okay, that was unexpected," Gary muttered, scratching his head.

The Beedrill, confused and now without a target, buzzed around aimlessly for a moment before deciding it had better things to do and flew off into the trees, leaving Gary standing there completely dumbfounded.

Ash, still holding the tin container, looked over with a goofy grin on his face. "What just happened?"

Gary shook his head slowly. "I don't know, but I think Wisty might've run into a wild Beedrill... or maybe it was something else. I'll never figure her out."

Ash shrugged, not bothered by the strange turn of events. "Well, she's back in the tent, so I guess everything's fine now. I'll just go finish singing my song about bubble baths."

Gary couldn't help but laugh. "You're impossible, Ash."

But just as he was about to return to his spot by the fire, he heard a muffled voice from inside the tent. Wisty had apparently managed to squeeze out one last comment.

"I'm not coming out until it's safe!" she yelled, her voice muffled by the tent walls.

Gary couldn't help but smile. "And here I thought I was the weird one..."

" Never thought of Grandpa to be a Pusillanimous." Gary muttered. " I thought he was supposed to do these stuff. But I guess he's too scared of the wild. Or he could be busy. That's another option."

Ash overheard. " Pusillanimous? Is that a new typa Pokemon?!"

" That's not what I meant."

But Ash was gone. He had grabbed his Pokedex and flipped it open.

" Pusillanimous Pokemon." Ash said.

" Some examples of a Pusillanimous Pokemon are Skitty, Maril, Sudowoodo, Heracross, Swinub, and Corsola."

" Nono, I want to know more about the Pokemon named Pusillanimous!"

" Only a stupid person would think there is a pokemon named Pusillanimous."

Ash blinked. " Uh....."

Wisty peeked her head out of her tent. " Ash, Pusillanimous means Timid."

" Oh! Okay! Dexter, Pokemon named Timid!"

Gary smirked and leaned back against the tree, amused. "Ash, seriously? There's no Pokémon called Timid, either. It's not a species name-it's a description. You know, like how you're clueless?"

Ash frowned, still holding the Pokédex as if it might miraculously answer his question. "Dexter, Pokémon with the Timid nature!"

The Pokédex finally gave a relevant response. "Pokémon with the Timid nature are known for their increased Speed but decreased Attack. This nature can be observed across many species, including Pikachu."

Ash's face lit up with excitement. "See? Pikachu might be a Timid Pokémon! I knew it had something to do with Pokémon."

Pikachu, now awake and sitting on Ash's shoulder, gave him a flat look and muttered, "Pika pi..." which roughly translated to, I'm not timid.

Wisty, now fully out of the tent, rolled her eyes. "Ash, you just tried to make an entire new Pokémon category out of one fancy word Gary used. How do you survive in the wild?"

Gary grinned. "He doesn't. That's why he's got us. And Pikachu."

Ash ignored them and pointed dramatically at the Pokédex. "Hey, knowledge is power! Dexter's here to help me learn. And maybe one day I will find a Pokémon named Pusillanimous!"

Wisty threw her hands up in exasperation. "I give up. He's hopeless."

Gary chuckled. "Welcome to my world. I've been dealing with him for years."

Ash smirked confidently. "Hey, at least I know how to turn my cluelessness into adventure!"

" Dinner's ready!" Gary called as he stirred the soup.

Ash came running and practically grabbed Gary's larder, dipped it in the soup, and started to eat like there was no tomorrow.

Gary sighed. " Ash, where's Wisty?"

" Doing girl stuff."

" Like?"

" Rolling her hair, brushing it, putting all this ridiculous stuff in it...."

Gary raised an eyebrow as he ladled some soup into a bowl. "Ridiculous stuff? Like what? Glitter? Feathers? What does she think she is, a Fearow?"

Ash shrugged, slurping his soup noisily. "I don't know! She said something about braiding it so it doesn't get tangled in the forest. Girl logic."

Just then, Wisty emerged from her tent, her hair in a neat braid and her camera slung over her shoulder. She shot Ash an annoyed look. "For your information, brother, this 'ridiculous stuff' is called being practical. Maybe you should try it sometime."

Ash gestured with his spoon. "I am practical. See? Eating dinner before anyone else can steal it." He took another massive bite of soup.

Gary shook his head, amused. "Wisty, you better grab some before Ash eats the entire pot. Again."

Wisty sat down and grabbed a bowl. "Thanks, Gary. At least someone has manners around here."

Ash mumbled through a mouthful of soup. "I have manners. I said thanks last month."

Wisty facepalmed while Gary snorted. "Ash, the day you win an award for politeness is the day I see a Pusillanimous Pokémon."

The night was peaceful-or it should have been. The stars sparkled in the sky above the campsite, the wind rustled softly through the trees, and the fire pit glowed with the last embers of the evening's flame. Gary stretched out in his sleeping bag, letting out a contented sigh as he closed his eyes. Beside him, Wisty had settled in with a yawn, her Eevee curled up at her feet.

Then it began.

A deep, rumbling snore that sounded like a mix between a growling Ursaring and a malfunctioning chainsaw tore through the quiet night.

Gary shot up, his hair a mess. "What is that?!"

Wisty groaned, stuffing her pillow over her head. "It's Ash. Again."

Gary rubbed his temples. "How does someone even snore like that? It's like he's summoning Groudon."

The snoring grew louder, punctuated by a particularly jarring snort. Gary winced as if he'd been physically struck. "Okay, we have to do something about this, or neither of us is getting any sleep."

Wisty sat up, her eyes half-closed. "I tried poking him last time. He just rolled over and started snoring louder."

"Let me handle this," Gary said confidently. He marched over to Ash's bag, unzipping it with determination. Inside, Ash was sprawled out on his back, mouth wide open, snoring to the heavens. Pikachu was asleep next to him, undisturbed.

Gary nudged Ash's shoulder. "Hey, Ash. Ash, wake up. You're snoring."

Ash didn't stir. His snores only grew more dramatic, resembling a hyperventilating Torkoal.

Gary growled. "Fine. If poking doesn't work, maybe shaking will." He grabbed Ash's shoulder and shook him.

Ash muttered in his sleep, "Pikachu... use Thunderbolt... on the soup..." and rolled over.

Gary threw his hands up and stalked back to his sleeping bag. "He's impossible."

"Welcome to my world," Wisty muttered, flopping back onto her pillow.

They lay there for another ten minutes as the snores continued unabated. Wisty sat up again, her face scrunched in frustration. "What if we pinch his nose shut?"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "You want to suffocate him?"

"Not for long!" Wisty snapped. "Just until he wakes up and changes positions."

Desperate, Gary shrugged. "Fine, let's try it."

They crept back into Ash's bag, Wisty leading the way. She reached out and pinched Ash's nose shut, grimacing at the effort it took to dodge his flailing arm. At first, it seemed to work; the snoring stopped. But then Ash's mouth fell open, and the snores resumed, even louder than before.

Gary backed away, holding his ears. "He's a Snorlax in disguise. I'm convinced."

Wisty grumbled, "This is ridiculous." She glanced around and spotted Pikachu's Pokéball sitting nearby. An idea struck her. "What if we use Pikachu?"

"Pikachu is asleep," Gary pointed out.

"Not for long," Wisty said with a mischievous grin. She grabbed Pikachu and shook him. " Pikachu..."

"Pi... ka?" Pikachu asked, rubbing its eyes.

Wisty pointed to Ash. "Pikachu, your trainer is snoring like a Loudred. We need you to wake him up."

Pikachu tilted its head, then hopped over to Ash and gave him a gentle zap. "Pika!"

Ash jolted slightly but didn't wake. His snores continued, undeterred.

Wisty slumped against the tent pole. "Not even electricity works?! What is he made of?"

Gary sighed. "We're doomed."

Back at their sleeping bags, they tried earplugs, but the snores vibrated through the ground. They tried putting on headphones, but the batteries in Gary's music player died halfway through. They even tried creating white noise by crinkling an aluminum foil packet they'd brought, but the sound only seemed to harmonize with Ash's snores, creating an unbearable symphony of chaos.

Finally, as dawn approached, Wisty buried her face in her hands. "I give up. This is my life now. Endless nights of snoring and no sleep."

Gary looked equally haggard, dark circles under his eyes. "If I survive this trip, I'm investing in a soundproof tent."

As the sun rose, Ash stretched and yawned, completely refreshed. "Morning, guys! Sleep well?"

Gary and Wisty stared at him, their eyes bloodshot and twitching.

Ash blinked, confused. "What's wrong with you two?"

Gary's eye twitched. "I'm this close to catching a Zubat just so it can Supersonic you to sleep every night."

Wisty simply growled, grabbing her camera. "If I hear one more snore out of you tonight, I'm trading you to Team Rocket."